"I used to be a part of the high school band. We marched in Mardi Gras parades, but we never had the opportunity to ride on the floats. I wanted (my son) to have that opportunity," said Bridges.

He and six other
African-American men sat down in 2004 and decided to create Mobile's first
integrated Mardi Gras society, independent of the two existing Mardi Gras associations:
The Mobile Carnival Association and the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association.

In 2006 The Conde Explorers were the first organization with African-American members to ride in a night parade in Mobile. This year, they rolled through downtown Mobile on Saturday, Feb. 15, along with the Pharaohs Mystic Society and the Order of
Hebe, with the theme "The Royal Treatment: a 10-year Exploration." They held
their ball right after the parade at the Mobile Convention Center. Bridges is
the organization's current president.

Prichard City Council member Lorenzo Martin, 41, was also one of the six founders. He recalls how they all decided to be integrated from the start. "We didn't want to do the same thing that had been done to us, so it had to be integrated."

Progress was slow the first few years, but today the group is about 35 percent white and 65 percent African-American with 170 members, leaders said.

Henry Calloway, 55, a Mobile attorney, has been a member for the past five years and is the organization's first and only white board member. His 24-year-old son is also a member. He got involved after watching the 2008 documentary film "Order of Myths," which is about racial segregation in Mobile's Mardi Gras, with a group from his church, All Saints Episcopal Church in Mobile. They decided as a group that they needed to help the fledgling organization. Today the Conde Explorers hold their regular meetings at the church.

"This is part of breaking down barriers. We think part of the church's message is breaking down barriers," said Calloway, who is a former senior warden at All Saints Episcopal Church.

"Mobile has come a long way as far as race relations, but when it comes to Mardi Gras, it's pretty segregated. It's important for children to see that we're one Mobile. My part in the Conde Explorers is for fun, but it's also a deliberate attempt to make Mardi Gras more diverse. I hope that the next generation sees this as a natural thing," he added.

David and Michon
Trent of Mobile also joined the Explorers five years ago when they, as an
interracial couple, were looking to be a part of an organization together.

"We joined because
we thought it could be a good way to meet new people and also to promote
inclusion in Mardi Gras. We're not from here and we felt that Mardi Gras was
very segregated and we thought we could join (the Conde Explorers) and not
encounter any problems. Race is not an issue there so it never comes up," said
Michon Trent, 49.

Since then, they've
paraded together, something that would not be possible in the other societies.

"My family comes
into town because they love our ball and one year maybe they'll ride (in the
parade,)" said Trent.

Bridges emphasizes that the group wasn't formed to try to change the other societies in Mobile, rather they wanted to attract members who were looking for a new and diverse model.

"We have kids that are growing up in the organization and it's changing their mindset. That's going to be a very positive thing for them," said Bridges.

Eric Finley, 61, president of the Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association, is supportive of the
progress the Conde Explorers have made.

"The Conde Explorers
have done a good job of presenting an organization that's inclusive," said
Finley.

But, he sees MAMGA
as an important part of tradition in Mobile that came about in the 1930s to
combat Jim Crow racial segregation laws.

"Our thread is
tradition, and that is providing a coronation and cultural traditions for young
African-Americans," said Finley.

Finley said he is pleased to
see the Explorers gaining momentum and knows several MAMGA members
participating in both groups.

"The Condes are
pretty strong and will continue and grow larger. We may not see it in the next
10-15 years, but it's just a matter of time before we're all just Americans,"
said Finley.

Currently, the group parades with nine to 10 rented floats and own their own emblem float. Members just purchased land to build their own float barn and hope to start construction soon. Then, they can start building their own fleet of floats.

Todd Duren, 49, a white member who moved to Mobile from Knoxville, Tenn., joined the Conde Explorers in 2010 when a friend offered to pay his dues. He sees this gift as a very lucky break on his part.

"It seemed that the Conde Explorers had their hearts in the right place. Mardi Gras is supposed to go beyond the ideas of race, gender and class. It's about turning social norms on their head for just a little while. The Conde Explorers do the best job that I've seen of doing that," said Duren.

For more information about the Conde explorers visit their web page at condeexplorers.org.